Car-brake



(NvqModeL) R. NORRIS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Car Brake N0.'231,08I. Patented Aug. I0,1880.

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PATENT CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,081, dated August 10, 1880.

Application filed May 1, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, R. H. NORRIS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of car-brakes wherein the momentum of the car is applied to set the brake; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of parts whereby the brake may be instantly brought into action with a power proportioned to the speed which it is used to check.

Referring to the drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinaltertical section takenin the plane X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection taken in the plane y y, Fig.- 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view, showing the same parts illustrated in Fig. 1, the brake being shown in said Fig. 4 as set, while in Fig. 1 the brake is relaxed. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken in the plane X X, Fig. 4, showing the position of the parts when the brake is applied or set. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross'section, taken in the plane g 3 Fig 4, showing the same parts seen in Fig. 3. the latter figure showing the parts in the position they occupy when the brake is relaxed, while in Fig. 6 the brake is applied. Fig. 7 is a view showing a detached portion of the end of the truck-carriage or car-platform, showing the foot-lever used for throwing the brake mechanism into connection with the operating devices. Fig. 8 is a view of one of the parts detached, showing a modification in construction.

A in the drawings indicates the truck carriage or platform, which is in all essential respects of the usual form. .In the plan views, Figs. 1 and 4, this platform is partly cut away to permit inspection of the parts beneath. The platform is supported by sills B B O O, and the entire struotureis carried by the wheels D D, whose journals are set in boxes in the usual manner. The brakes E are also of the pattern in common use, and are suspended from the ends of the truck by links.

The connecting-bars F F, the brake'rods G, and the levers I and I are each constructed and arranged in the manner usually seen in railway-oars.

(No model.)

The brakes are applied by tension exerted directly upon the brake-rod G, and thence transmitted through the lever 1 and brakerod G to the lever I, which is linked to the connecting-bar F, and thence, by means of the rod G, to the other bar, F, which connects the other pair of brakes. The rod G islinked to a bell-crank lever, K, pivoted at its angle toa heavy brace, L, which rests at its ends upon the side sills of the truck and is arranged about midway of the wheels.

The lever K has two arms, like the ordinary bell-crank lever, said arms being inclined to form an acute angle at their intersection. To the extremity of one of these arms, a, the brake-rod G is linked. The other arm, I), which is of somewhat greater length, rests upon the axle D, or, if not in actual contact, at least raised but slightly above it. Upon the axle D is rigidly mounted a cone having a spiral or worm out upon its surface, and as cending from the smaller toward the larger end of said cone.

When the brake is off and the mechanism is in its proper position the end I) of the lever K will lie over the axle D, just beyond the entrance to the spiral d, cut in the cone M in the manner described. When the brake is not in use this lever is held in such position by a spiral spring, f, connected at one end to the lever K and at the other to the brace L, the lever being pivoted to said brace in such a manner as to permit it to swing laterally.

Upon one side of the truck is arranged a rod or bar, N, set in the sills in such a way that it may freely revolve, and connected by an arm, 0, Fig. 7, with a foot-lever, P, by the operation of which the bar N may be revolved.

Opposite the lever K, and not far from the middle point of the bar N, is placed a second arm, 0, rigidly mounted on the bar and having its end linked by the rod g to the lever K.

By the operation of the foot-lever, as already described, the arm O is forced to turn outward, thereby drawing the arm I) of the lever K into engagement with the spiral (I cut in the cone M. As this cone revolves with the axle D the arm bis carried up on the cone, following the spiral d, and thereby lifting the arm upward above the axle into the position seen in Fig. 5. It is evident that this movement throws the shorter arm a directly toward the rear, as will be very clearly seen by comparing the position of the parts, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 respectively. This retraction of the arm a of the lever K draws the brake-rod G with it, and the tension thereon is, by the levers I and I and the rods G and G, communicated to the brakes E, setting them against the wheels with great force and in a very short space of time. Moreover, the force with which the brakes are set may be very accurately determined or controlled, so that it shall be directlyproportioned to the speed of the car.

The manner in which this is accomplished will be fully described hereinafter.

When the brake is thrown into operation in the manner set forth, the lever 11 will climb the cone M by means of the spiral out upon the periphery of said cone. As already remarked, the lever is thrown into engagement with the cone by means of a foot-lever, P, actingthrough the bar N upon an arm which is linked to the lever K. As the spiral d, cut on the surface of the cone, must necessarily be shallow, a slight pressure upon the foot-lever I? will be required to keep the arm I) in the groove of the cone. When it has reached the highest point thereon, and after the car is checked, or when the action of the brake is no longer necessary, it will be necessary to let the brake off without the arm I) descending the cone spirally. In other words, the said arm must descend the cone by an instantaneous lateral movement, passing over the grooves of the spiral d instead of following them. I accomplish this in the following manner: Two strong supports, 1' t, are attached to the cross-brace L, and project from it toward the axle D until their extremities come directly beneath the lever K, at a point somewhat in front of its pivotal attachment to the said brace L. These supports 27 t" are constructed to sustain a me tallic plate, Z, sliding in said supports transversely of the truck. This plate is, by means of a spring, m, constantly held in the position illustrated in Fig. 6, save when it is acted upon by some force strong enough to overcome the tension of said spring, when it may slide in a direction toward the support v3 until it is stopped by the offset a. The spring on is of low tension, in order that the bar I may be moved by a slight force. The bar itself is of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 6, its upper edge being gently curved upward near its middle part, and the angle at which this upper edge is curved corresponds closely to the sectional outline of the cone M.

When the brake is off, the arm I), being in the position seen in Fig. 3, the lower edge of the lever K rests upon the narrow part 1 of the plate I. Now, when the said armis drawn into the spiral d its lateral movement brings it at once into contact with the curved edge of the plate 1, and if the spring at were of sufficient strength the arm would ride up on the plate instead of upon the cone. As itis, however, the lateral movement of the arm, as it follows the spiral, pushes the plate Z in the direction of the support z" until the arm reaches the highest point upon the cone M, as seen in Fig. 6. At this point it is lifted just out of contact with the plate, and the spring m immediately throws said plate back to its original position.

Now, when it is brake, the foot is removed from the foot-lever P, and the spring f at once tends to draw the lever Kinto the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. As the arm bleaves the highest point on the cone it comes at once upon the curved portion of the plate 1, and slides thereon without falling into the grooves of the spiral. The plate I also supports the arm I) of the lever K when the brake is off, and prevents it coming into contact with the constantlyrevolving axle, whereby it would seem be worn away. After the spiral (I has ascended the cone part way it may be cut in the manner shown in part in Fig. l at p--viz: instead of a continuous spiral, the cone M may have formed thereon two or more plane-surfaced parts, (seen at 3 4, Fig. 1,) with the spiral entering each one, as shown at p in the same figure. In this manner the operator may control the force with which the brake is applied, since a slight difference in the pressure upon the foot-lever P will either hold the arm 1) upon the small zone 3 or will cause it to climb to the larger one 4. In this manner brakes may be set with any force required, as the circumstances of the case and the speed of the car may demand. The brakes E may be hung to the truck by links in the usual manner.

In order to throw the brakes forcibly away from the wheels, and thereby expedite their letting off, as well as to prevent the wear which is so common where they swing clear by gravity and come frequently in contact with the wheels, Iemploy simple elastic strips R, stapled to the truck and to the connectingbars F F.

When the brakes are put on these springstrips are flexed very slightly, and when the brakes are let off they draw the brakes from the wheels, and by their elasticity also aid in the operation of the other portions of the mechanism.

In the invention thus described it will be seen that the brakes could be used only when the car is moving in one direction. I have chosen to show and illustrate the mechanism in connection with acone having a single spiral only, for the sake of simplicity, and to render the views in the drawings more clear. I pro pose, however, to use as a part of my invention the cone shown in Fig.8, wherein the spiral runs in both directions, and whereby it is evident that the brake may be used when the car moves in either direction. This form of cone will operate as well and as easily as the other.

The tension exerted by the foot-lever upon the arm 1) serves to guide and retain it in the grooves of the spiral, and enables the person operating the brake to hold the lever b at any desirable to release the IIO point upon the cone M. In this respect the double spiral shown in Fig. 8 is also advantageous, for at each point of intersection of the spirals there is a continuous unbroken ring, in which the arm I) will run until it is drawn by the foot-leverinto the next ascending groove. In this manner the tension of the brakes may be applied and regulated with great precision.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with the brake mechanism of a railway-car, of a spirally-grooved cone 011 the axle, a pivoted bell-crank lever having one arm adapted to ride up said cone and the other arm attached to a rigid .rod which connects with and actuates the brake mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the brake mechanism of a railway-car, of a grooved cone on the axle and a pivoted lever connected by rigid rods with the brake mechanism and adapted to ride up said grooved cone to set the brake with a gradually-increasing tension as the lever climbs the cone, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in the brake mechanism of a railway-car, of a grooved cone on the axle, apivoted bell-crank lever having one of its arms connected with the brake mechanism by rigid connections and its other arm adapted to ride up the grooved cone to apply the brakes with graduall y-i ncreasin g tension,andmechanism, such substantially as described, for acting on the bell-crank lever to move it laterally for engaging the grooved cone and for conveying said lever to its normal position from the base of the cone, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the brake-mechanism of a railway-car, of the spirally-grooved cone, pivoted lever K, and mechanism, substantially as described, for causing the lever to engage with said cone, whereby the brake is set with a gradually-increasing tension.

5. The combination, with the lever K and grooved cone M, of the arm 0 and rod N, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the brake-lever I and rod G, of the bell-crank lever K, pivoted to the brace L, and provided with two arms, a and b, the grooved cone M, the arm 0, and means for operating said arm, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the arm n, of the cone M, arm 0, and plate I, substantially as set forth.

8. In combination with the brakes of a railway-car and their connecting mechanism, a single actuating lever operated by a cone mounted upon the revolving car-axle, said cone having a double spiral cutor grooved upon its periphery and running in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, in a railway-car brake, of agrooved cone rigidly mounted upon the car-axle, a bell-crank lever having one arm adapted to engage with the groove on said cone and the other connected with the brakerod, and a sliding plate provided with a curved or sloping edge, adapted to yield to the lateral movement of the arm as it runs up the spiral, and to be retracted by a spring into position to support said arm as it slides down the cone, all substantially in the manner described.

10. The plate l, having a narrow portion, 1, and a broad part, 2, its upper edge being curved to correspond substantially with the slope of the cone M, in combination with the retractin g-spring m,suhstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. The combination, with the brakes E and spring-strips R, of the brake-rods G, G, and G, the bell-crank lever K, the cone M, and arm 0, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. The combination, with the cone M and lever K, having arms a and b, of the plate 1, supports 2' i, and spring m.

13. The combination of the lever K with the sliding bar 6 and the supports *6 andi, substantially as set forth.

14. The lever K, spring f, plate Z, and spring m, in combination with the bar N, arm 0, and the foot-lever P, substantially as and for the purpose described.

15. The combination of the bar N, having the arm 0, the lever K, having arms a and I), and connected to the bar 0 by a suitable link, the cone M, having two spirals cut thereon in opposite directions, both leading from the apex to the base of said cone, the sliding platel, springs f and m, and brake-rods G, G, and G, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

16. The combination, with the pivoted levers I I, the connecting-rods G G G,and the forked lever K, pivoted at its angle to the truck and having one arm connected with the rod G, of a cone on the axle on which the other end of the forked lever is adapted to travel upward for operating the brakes with a gradually-inereasing tension, substantially as described.

17. A railway-car brake consisting of the following elements, viz: the brakes E, brakelevers I I, brake-rods G, G, and G, the lever K, .having arms a and b and spring f, the plate 1, mounted in supports i t" and having spring m, the cone M, mounted on the axle D and revolving therewith, the arm 0, bar N, and foot-lever P, connected to said bar by the arm 0, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth. g

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lt. H. NORRIS.

Witnesses ZENAS S. ARNOLD, CHAS. B. TILDEN. 

